St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-09-16
Important Portions of Ex-
Warden Reed Answer
Stricken Out,
Whereupon Mr.. Marsh, His At
torney, Speaks With a
Deal of Warmth.
He Says Stordock Is a Fraud
and a Thoroughly Cor
rupt Man,
And That This Fact is Well
Known to Many Promi-
nent Republicans.

The state board of corrections and
charities met at 10 a. m. yesterday at
Saltwater and notified Mr.. Marsh, the
attorney for Warden Reed, that they
would strike out from his answer all
that part relating to the convention and
election in the fall of 1886, and the wish
of Mr.. StOrdock to be appointed as rail-
road commissioner, and the grounds
upon which the leading politicians of
the state refused to assist him to such
appointment. And also that part of the
answer in reference to the immoral con-
duet of Warden Stordock, while mem
Der of the legislature and since, in the
city of st. Paul. A GLOBE reporter in
teryiewed Mr.. Marsh, made inquiries as
to what be thought of the action of the
commission, and as to what action he
should take in the premises. Mr..
Marsh stated that he had not fully con-
sidered the matter, but that he thought
he should file protest against the
striking out of so important part of
his answer, and decline to proceed to
offer proof as to the remainder, stating,
in substance, that it was rule of pro-
ceedingS in court in cases of
CRIMINAL PROSECUTION,
for instance. where murder had been
committed, and the accused was on
trial. to adduce any and all evidence,
even extending back over long period
of years, to show the relation between
the parties, the prisoner at the bar and
the deceased, and also to show any pos
sible motive which the prisoner might
have had for committing the murder
That such evidence, although it did not
directly prove the commission of the
crime, very frequently added so much
to the testimony derived from other
sources as to establish the commission
of the crime in the minds Of the jury
That where q motive clearly existed the
crime itself ought to and could be estab-
liShed with much less evidence than
where there was apparently an absence
of motive. Mr.. Marsh claims that. ap-
plying this rule to the trial of the matter
of Warden Reed, it became necessary in
order to establish the subsequent con-
spiracieS to ascertain first the existing
relation of the parties and the motives
which might or actually did influence
MI. StordOck and the other persons al
legged to have cOnSpired together, to pro-
duce the
FALSE TESTIMONY
against Warden Reed. That indeed it
would be but half case if he was to be
limited to the proof which might be Of
fered under that part of the answer
left under the order of the commission.
That nothing could so add to the
ctr. n Of In RI 10
ton actually occupied by MIR. Stordock
in the fall of 1886. That he desired
public office; that he wanted it very
badly: that he could not get it because
he was openly accused of being bribe-
taker: that he wanted an appointive
office: that he could not get it because
prominent men, knowing his record.
would not permit it. This, in the
language of Mr.. Marsh, would leave
him in the position of the unterrified
Democracy-very hungry and very
thirsty" And Mr. Marsh also said that
if he was permitted to prove, not only
the relation of MIR. StOrdock to Mr..
Reed and the needs and hunger of Mr..
Stordock. but also the fact that Mr.. Stor-
dock had sufficient following among his
c0untrymen to make it necessary that a
place should be made for him, all the
foundation necessary to show the
MOTIVE OF MIR. STORDOCK
and Mr.. McNeal in cOnSpiring to-
gether to falsely make charges against
Mr. Reed to the governor, would be eS-
tablished, especially when the addi-
tiOnal proof was made that McNeal and
his wife both knew that they would lose
their places if Warden Reed was con-
tinued in office. The reporter asked of
Mr. Marsh if he believed he could MAIN
tain the charges contained in his an
swer, if he had been permitted by the
commission to offer testimony to the eX-
tent he claimed necessary to SO eStab-
liSh the charge, and in answer he said
he believed he could. That as to the
charge that Warden StordOck wanted a
state office. any one who was a member
of the convention could verify that. AS
to the allegation that he was refused a
place on the state ticket, owing to the
reports that he had been bride taker,
that all the information he had on that
subject came to him Indirectly, burt
from truthful sources, as having orig
mated and been proclaimed by J. J.
Hill, Charles A. Pillsbury, Stan
ford Newell and other men
who were prominent in the Re
publican party, and certain Democrats
well known in railroad circles. Nh
Marsh stated that he did not believe
that he had been deceived by the parties
who had conveyed to him the informa-
ton. and that he would be willing to
leave it to the statement of the gentle
man who had spoken to him in refer
ence to it, and to those whom he had
namled as to the
TRUTH OF THE CHARGE
which was contained in the answer as
to Warden StordOck being bride taker
in the legislature, and as to the action
of the convention predicated upon it.
Mr. Marsh also stated that he had but
little evidence of the desire on the part
of Mr., StOrdock to obtain the appoint
ment as railroad commissioner, but had
been informed of what he alleged the
facts to be in the premises by a
prominent politician in Minnesota,
whose name he declined to dis
close for the reason that he had
promised that he would not,
bnt suggested that the real truth in ref
erence to this probably could be aScer-
tanned byoinquiry of such men as Knute
Nelson, Charles A. PillSbury, Loren
Fletcher and Stanford Newell. Mr..
Marsh, on being asked what he thought
induced the governor to make the ap-
pointment and order the Investigation,
said that he believed that the governor
acted in the utmost good faith, and. as
the governor believed, for the good of
the public service, but that he was de-
ceived and imposed upon by people
whom he trusted, and who, from their
relation to him, ought to have been
trusted by him, and that he did not be-
lieve the governor knew the true char
acter of StOrdOck at the time he made
the appointment, but that other men of
high influence in Republican councils
did know the
TRUE CHARACTER OF sTORDoCK,
and they ought to have spoken plainly
to the governor in reference to it. MI.
Marsh further said, in response to a
question, that it was none of his bust
ness what influence the charges against
oaI- L.,